Thursday, January 19, 2017

Super Baby Beanie

Super Baby Beanie
Super Baby Beanie
Pictured in size Adult Large

Before we dive into the specifics of the pattern, let's get one thing straight: yes, this hat is practically the same color as the last one I posted, the Four Winds Hat. As you'll remember, though, that's the yarn I snatched away from my husband before he could get too attached to it, and subsequently, the yarn that made me feel very, very guilty for the snatching. Hence the Super Baby Beanie for the Super Baby himself (hmm, that doesn't sound quite as flattering as I imagined it did). Anyway, this hat is made with an extra bulky fiber and big ol' needles, which makes it a perfect quick knit that still has plenty of pizazz. And while my girl Hedwig here looks pretty freakin' nice with it on (yes, I spent time braiding her wig), I should mention that it looks ever cuter on my husband!

Sizes: Adult Small (Adult Large)

Yarn: Lana Grossa Alta Moda Super Baby (67% Wool, 30% Alpaca, 3% Polyamide; 65 yards [60 meters]/50 grams); #01 Oliv Meliert - 2 skeins

A closer look at the pattern
and the finish.

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 11, one 16" circular needle in size US 15, and one set of double pointed needles (dpns) in size US 15

Notions: Tapestry needle, 1 stitch marker

Gauge: 10 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a hat! Using your size 11 needle, then, cast on 52 (56) stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then, we'll work the ribbing as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from *

Work this ribbing row until hat measures just over 2". Transfer work to your size US 15 circular needle, and then we'll begin the main pattern, which is Ringlet Stitch from page 136 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. To do it, you'll need the following notation:

make ringlet (mr): purl 2 stitches, then keeping the yarn in front slip these 2 stitches back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the 2 stitches back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the 2 purled stitches

And once you've gotten that down, continue as follows:

Row 1: knit

Row 2: * mr *

Knit these two rows until piece measures roughly 7" (8") in length and you've just finished row 1 of the pattern. Then we'll work the decrease, as you'll find below. For the decrease, you'll need some more notation, which is basically just a few variations of the ringlet, that go as follows:

make ringlet with purl 2 together (mr w/ p2tog): p2tog, then keeping the yarn in front slip this stitch back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the stitch back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the p2tog 

make ringlet with 1 stitch (mr w/ p1): p1, then keeping the yarn in front slip this stitch back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the stitch back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the p1

And once you've got that covered, proceed as follows. Notice that the final decrease row is different for each size.

Decrease Row 1: * mr, mr w/ p2tog * (39 stitches (42 stitches))

You'll want to transfer your work to your dpns now... 

Decrease Row 2: knit

Decrease Row 3: * mr w/ p2tog, mr w/ p1 * (26 stitches (28 stitches))

Decrease Row 4: knit

Decrease Row 5: * mr w/ p2tog * (13 stitches (14 stitches))

Decrease Row 6 (size adult small): mr w/ p1, * mr w/ p2tog; rep from * until end of round (7 stitches)

Decrease Row 6 (size adult large): * mr w/ p2tog * (7 stitches)

Clip yarn tail, thread through final 7 stitches and to inside of hat, pull tight and knot. Tuck in ends and block, if desired. 

31 comments:

  1. I measured my nephew's head at 23 inches around. (I looped the tape around where the bottom of a hat would go, pretty much.) Would that be a small or a large?

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    1. Oooh, that's probably right in the middle! Make a small if you want it tighter-fitting; larger if he'd prefer something looser. :)

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  2. How can i do this on straight needles? (Newbie here!)

    Thanks in advance!

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    1. Okay, I've posted modified directions below. However, I highly recommend that you take the plunge and learn the basics to knitting in the round... it has many advantages, including zero seaming for hats like this and no wrong side at all!!! :)

      Using your size 11 needle, then, cast on 54 (58) stitches loosely. Then, we'll work the ribbing as follows:

      Ribbing Row 1 (wrong side): p1, * k1, p1; rep from * until you have one stitch left, end p1

      Ribbing Row 2: k1, * k1, p1; rep from * until you have one stitch left, end k1

      Work these ribbing rows until hat measures just over 2" and you’ve just finished a right side row. Transfer work to your size US 15 needle, and then we'll begin the main pattern. To do it, you'll need the following notation:

      make ringlet (mr): purl 2 stitches, then keeping the yarn in front slip these 2 stitches back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the 2 stitches back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the 2 purled stitches

      And once you've gotten that down, continue as follows:

      Row 1 (wrong side): purl

      Row 2: k1, * mr; rep from * until you have one stitch left, end k1

      Knit these two rows until piece measures roughly 7" (8") in length and you've just finished row 1 of the pattern. Then we'll work the decrease, as you'll find below. For the decrease, you'll need some more notation, which is basically just a few variations of the ringlet, that go as follows:

      make ringlet with purl 2 together (mr w/ p2tog): p2tog, then keeping the yarn in front slip this stitch back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the stitch back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the p2tog

      make ringlet with 1 stitch (mr w/ p1): p1, then keeping the yarn in front slip this stitch back to your left-hand needle, pass yarn from front of work to back of work and slip the stitch back to your right-hand needle, effectively wrapping the p1

      And once you've got that covered, proceed as follows. Notice that the final decrease row is different for each size.

      Decrease Row 1 (right side): k1, * mr, mr w/ p2tog; rep from * until you have one stitch left, k1 (41 stitches (44 stitches))

      Decrease Row 2: purl

      Decrease Row 3: k1, * mr w/ p2tog, mr w/ p1; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left, k1 (28 stitches (30 stitches))

      Decrease Row 4: purl

      Decrease Row 5: k1, * mr w/ p2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left, k1 (15 stitches (16 stitches))

      Decrease Row 6: purl

      Decrease Row 7 (size adult small): k1, mr w/ p1, * mr w/ p2tog; rep from * until you have one stitch left, k1 (9 stitches)

      Decrease Row 7 (size adult large): k1, * mr w/ p2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left, k1 (9 stitches)

      Thread remaining 9 stitches onto a piece of scrap yarn to work later. Beginning at brim of hat, seam. When you reach final 9 stitches, thread seaming yarn through them and pull tight. Thread seaming yarn to inside of hat and knot. Tuck in ends and block, if desired.

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  3. Is it okay to continue pattern in the round instead of switching to dpns?

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    1. If you're using the Magic Loop then you don't need to make the transfer - otherwise, unfortunately, as you reduce stitches and your hat gets smaller you won't be able to hold the stitches on a needle as long as your 16" circular without pulling apart the top of the hat.

      Let me know if you have any other question! :)

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    2. I'm relatively new at knitting, and I prefer avoiding the dpns work. Are there any options?

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    3. Hi there! I posted a flat-knit modification in the comment above, so you can skip the circulars altogether if you like. However, if you've already worked the beginning on circulars then you really only have two options for the top: dpns or the Magic Loop. Large gauge work on dpns is easiest, so this is a good practice project if you want to give it a shot. You can find tons of tutorials for Magic Loop if you give it a quick Google also. It's not my preferred method but tons of people swear by it, so you may love it too! :)

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  4. Hi Gretchen, I love the pattern but want to knit it in worsted weight. If I modify the pattern would this weight work?

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    1. Yes, totally! I suggest knitting the body of the hat with whichever needles gives you 18 stitches = 4 inches. First, though, cast on 92, 96, or 100 stitches with a needle that's one size smaller (just depending on kind of a small/medium/large thing - you could even go to 104 if you wanted quite large), work the ribbing, switch to your gauge needles and continue from there! :)

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    2. Cool, I will try this, thank you!

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  5. Such a cool hat. And I appreciate that you gave the directions for knitting it in worsted weight as well. I'm never quite sure what I think of the heavier yarn. LOL I always copy your patterns into a Word Document to save, and for some reason this one was so hard to format. Do you think *you* did something different when you created it, or when you uploaded it?

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    1. Oh geez not that I know of but I run my site through Blogger and it can be a real pain in the rear when it comes to formatting... Speaking of which, though, have you ever checked out the PrintFriendly function at the bottom of the post? It allows you to delete photos and whatnot and print or save to PDF... It might be better if this one's giving you problems! :)

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  6. Thanks so much for the super baby beanie pattern. My husband urgently needed a new hat and I had some super chunky yarn to use up, so it fit the bill exactly, and my husband loves it! I'm new to your blog but so glad I found it - will definitely be making more of your patterns.

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    1. Wonderful, I'm so glad to hear that the pattern worked out well for you! And please, let me know if you ever have any questions. :)

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  7. When finished with the k1p1 and starting the mr stitch I am confused by the description of row does it mean I start with knit then change to mr? Do I complete a whole row of knit or just one stitch then swap to mr?

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    1. Hi there!

      You knit all of one row around (row 1) and then do the mr stitch for all of the next one (row 2). Let me know if you have any other questions! :)

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    2. Thanks so much for answering my questions I must say gotta pull some stitches out went ahead a started but its clearly not right will update!!

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  8. Should the 7 (8) inches include or exclude the 2in band ?

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    1. Include! Let me know if you have any other questions. :)

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  9. This pattern was SO FUN, and interesting too! I used a skein of Buttercream Glossy that I bought last year (I honestly didn't have a clue as to what I'd make with it) and this pattern is perfect for this yarn. The shiny nature of the yarn really helps to show off the texture of the design, and I'm so tickled with my hat. I am looking forward to using the leftover yarn to make a smaller hat or headband using this same design for my 8 yr old daughter, who absolutely fell in love the moment she saw this gorgeous hat. Thank you SO MUCH for your generosity in sharing your well-designed and beautifully written, easy-to-follow instructions. I am certain this will be a really great hat to create gifts for friends and family for years to come!!

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad you like it! I made this hat for my husband, but then I stole it. Now I wear it every day! :)

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  10. Is it possible to knit the entire hat with size 10 1/2 needles? I’m stuck home and can’t get out to buy different needles. I love this hat and want to be able to make it.

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    1. Yes, but since they are quite different in size from the 15s that the body of this hat was made on, you'll probably need to change the stitch count. If you let me know your gauge i can suggest modifications! :)

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  11. Hi Gretchen how many stitches would you need if I wanted to make it with 8 ply yarn using 4.5mm knitting needles, for guage it says 22 stitches on 4mm needles and 30 rows in socking stitch will make 10 cm square piece.

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    1. Hi! I would cast on 112 for the small and 124 for the large. I would also make it a bit longer before the decrease, since it will be quite rapid in smaller yarn! :)

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    2. Thank you so much for your help and generosity. I wish I could share the pics of the knitting and the happy people wearing them with you. Please keep adding more to your patterns.

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    3. You can always post pics on Ravelry! And unfortunately I've suffered from repetitive stress injuries for the last few years so I'm no longer knitting. Maybe one day, we'll see!

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  12. Any chance you have this pattern modified for a youth size?

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    1. Hi there! No, I haven't but modification should be relatively simple - if you're making a teen size I would just make the smaller adult size, and if you want to make a pre-teen size you could make the pattern as written but use one size smaller needles and drop an inch or two in length. If that's not the size you're looking for let me know and I can give you further suggestions. :)

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